While October is most widely recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, breast cancer awareness is a year-round commitment and involves education, proactive health measures, advocacy, and sustained support for those in treatment and survivorship. This involves three components of year-round awareness: proactive health and screening, continued advocacy, and support for survivors.
Proactive Health and Screening: Being proactive and diligent about screenings saves lives. That means that you should know your family history, make sure to schedule check-ups, regularly perform self-exams, and talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns. Early detection is one of the best things we have, not because it can prevent cancer but it gives us a fighting chance.
Advocacy and Access to Care: Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers diagnosed in women and far too many families have to embark on this battle without access or information on services that can be beneficial. Advocacy means access to timely and quality care. We need to empower survivors as they rebuild their lives after treatment.
Support for Survivors and Families: Support often begins with listening. Oftentimes, survivors do not necessarily need advice, just someone to listen to them. They may need a cry shoulder or someone to let them know they are thinking about them.
Even after treatment, the fight still continues. Between doctor’s appointments, follow-ups, and the moments of fear and hope, survivors and their loved ones continue to live with the impact of breast cancer every day.
When a person is diagnosed with any type of cancer or long-term condition, his or her family is impacted as well. Spouses often become caregivers, children grow up faster, and loved ones learn about treatments, hospitals, and how to have hope. The effects reach far beyond physical health, it affects the emotional well-being, family dynamics, and financial stability.
Families walk through the journey of breast cancer together, holding hands in waiting rooms, celebrating the small victories, and clinging to their faith during setbacks. For those who lose someone they love, October can be a painful reminder but also a time for treasured memories of someone who filled their life with love and laughter. The power of the pink ribbon movement truly lies with these individuals and families who continue this fight every day.
Beyond knowing the statistics and scheduling screenings, a year-round commitment demands tangible action within our local communities. We can all contribute to making the fight easier for our neighbors. Consider making a commitment to local support that lasts the whole year: volunteering to drive a patient to an appointment, preparing a meal for a family navigating cancer treatment, or simply setting a reminder to check in on a patient or survivor. This consistent compassion makes an immediate, life-changing difference.
Our commitment must also extend to pushing for research. The latest breakthroughs and technology are for naught if they are not available to everyone regardless of their zip code, income, or background. The voice of this movement must continue to demand progress so that every person impacted by this disease has access to the necessary care they require.
That is why breast cancer awareness cannot end when the month does. It stands as a year-round commitment to supporting survivors and families, promoting early screenings, access to research, and, most importantly, extending continuous compassion. Pink ribbons are powerful, but the real strength lies in what we do the other eleven months of the year.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Amy.Neighbors@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
(HD21 – News from the Office of Rep. Neighbors)